The SGMT Challenge Coin, A History
The creation of the challenge coin tradition has been claimed by many different organizations and military units. The widely accepted first account of the challenge coin dates back to World War I, when a young pilot commissioned a coin with the crest of his unit on it plated in gold. Each member of his squadron was given the coin so they could remember their service together. One of these pilots placed the coin in a leather pouch around his neck, having never owned anything this valuable before.
According to the story, he was shot down and captured by the Germans. All of his valuables and identification were taken except for the leather pouch. The pilot later escaped and was found by a French patrol who mistook him as a German saboteur. He presented his coin, thus delaying his execution long enough to confirm his identity. Upon returning to his unit, it became tradition to carry the coin at all times. Members of the unit would "challenge" each other to confirm compliance with this new tradition. If a person could not provide their coin when challenged, they owed the challenger a drink. However, if the challenge was met (coin presented), the challenger would buy the challenged a drink.
I personally became aware of this tradition in high school when I joined Marine Corps JROTC. I purchased a Marine Coin at Parris Island, and carried it with me at all times. I continued to see this tradition during my service first with the Coast Guard, then with the Department of Defense, and finally with Air Force ROTC at the University of Central Florida, where a unit coin was produced for the first time in 2003.
After joining the Stargate Multiverse Track officially as the track "McKay," I started working on prop reproduction. In May of 2009, the idea finally came to me: an exclusive challenge coin that represented both the Stargate franchise and our track in particular. I hand crafted two prototypes for the coin out of resin and modeling clay to determine the look and feel of the design. Once I had the overall concept, I presented the idea to my staff director Jen Breland-Dykes, so that we could move onto the next level of production. At that time it was decided that only Jen and I would know about the project to surprise the rest of the crew.
We selected ChallengeCoinsRUs.com as the company to produce the coins. They were friendly, had competitive prices, and were able to meet our delivery date for production. Without informing our Graphics Lead Wiccy (Christina Durstock) of the purpose, we asked her to provide artwork according to our specifications. From this artwork, a proof was generated that we then commissioned as the official SGMT 2009 Inaugural Challenge Coin.
The coins were unveiled at Dragon*Con 2009 and were offered to fans in two ways. The coins could be purchased individually, or if an attendee made a specific donation to the official Dragon*Con charity (the Georgia Chapter of the American Alzheimer's Association), they received the coin as a gift. The coins, along with our other charity activities over the weekend, helped us raise over $16,000 for the American Alzheimer's Association. We also presented each of the Stargate actors who attended the convention with a coin as part of a thank you for all they have given to the fans over the course of the franchise. Demand of the coins required that more coins be commissioned after the convention, and they are now permanently available at the SGMT online store. (http://sgmultiverse.org/store.html)
For me personally, I could not have imagined the response both the actors and the public have had for the SGMT 2009 Inaugural Challenge Coin. I thought the coin would be a special item for track staff and volunteers to follow a military tradition, and for the actors of the Stargate franchise to know how much they mean to the fans. After the fact, I am awestruck at how the community latched onto the idea. As a result, we are planning to have an exclusive annual coin for sale at Dragon*Con on a limited run each year, with our inaugural coin always available.
The challenge coin to me symbolizes unity—not just loyalty to a track, convention, or show, but loyalty to each other. We all have different backgrounds, but as long as we are part of the unit that this coin represents, we are all the same. Geeks united, together we cannot fail! My hope is that others feel the same way, and that they understand the message behind the challenge coin. Even if they don't, just remember: I always have my coin, and I could challenge you at any moment.
~Nick "Mckay" Seddon
Stargate Multiverse Track
Mixed Media Department Supervisor
All Around Genius
According to the story, he was shot down and captured by the Germans. All of his valuables and identification were taken except for the leather pouch. The pilot later escaped and was found by a French patrol who mistook him as a German saboteur. He presented his coin, thus delaying his execution long enough to confirm his identity. Upon returning to his unit, it became tradition to carry the coin at all times. Members of the unit would "challenge" each other to confirm compliance with this new tradition. If a person could not provide their coin when challenged, they owed the challenger a drink. However, if the challenge was met (coin presented), the challenger would buy the challenged a drink.
I personally became aware of this tradition in high school when I joined Marine Corps JROTC. I purchased a Marine Coin at Parris Island, and carried it with me at all times. I continued to see this tradition during my service first with the Coast Guard, then with the Department of Defense, and finally with Air Force ROTC at the University of Central Florida, where a unit coin was produced for the first time in 2003.
After joining the Stargate Multiverse Track officially as the track "McKay," I started working on prop reproduction. In May of 2009, the idea finally came to me: an exclusive challenge coin that represented both the Stargate franchise and our track in particular. I hand crafted two prototypes for the coin out of resin and modeling clay to determine the look and feel of the design. Once I had the overall concept, I presented the idea to my staff director Jen Breland-Dykes, so that we could move onto the next level of production. At that time it was decided that only Jen and I would know about the project to surprise the rest of the crew.
We selected ChallengeCoinsRUs.com as the company to produce the coins. They were friendly, had competitive prices, and were able to meet our delivery date for production. Without informing our Graphics Lead Wiccy (Christina Durstock) of the purpose, we asked her to provide artwork according to our specifications. From this artwork, a proof was generated that we then commissioned as the official SGMT 2009 Inaugural Challenge Coin.
The coins were unveiled at Dragon*Con 2009 and were offered to fans in two ways. The coins could be purchased individually, or if an attendee made a specific donation to the official Dragon*Con charity (the Georgia Chapter of the American Alzheimer's Association), they received the coin as a gift. The coins, along with our other charity activities over the weekend, helped us raise over $16,000 for the American Alzheimer's Association. We also presented each of the Stargate actors who attended the convention with a coin as part of a thank you for all they have given to the fans over the course of the franchise. Demand of the coins required that more coins be commissioned after the convention, and they are now permanently available at the SGMT online store. (http://sgmultiverse.org/store.html)
For me personally, I could not have imagined the response both the actors and the public have had for the SGMT 2009 Inaugural Challenge Coin. I thought the coin would be a special item for track staff and volunteers to follow a military tradition, and for the actors of the Stargate franchise to know how much they mean to the fans. After the fact, I am awestruck at how the community latched onto the idea. As a result, we are planning to have an exclusive annual coin for sale at Dragon*Con on a limited run each year, with our inaugural coin always available.
The challenge coin to me symbolizes unity—not just loyalty to a track, convention, or show, but loyalty to each other. We all have different backgrounds, but as long as we are part of the unit that this coin represents, we are all the same. Geeks united, together we cannot fail! My hope is that others feel the same way, and that they understand the message behind the challenge coin. Even if they don't, just remember: I always have my coin, and I could challenge you at any moment.
~Nick "Mckay" Seddon
Stargate Multiverse Track
Mixed Media Department Supervisor
All Around Genius